Mail-bag-delivery apparatus.



.No. 785,156. A PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905.

N. J. 01mm.

MAIL BAG DELIVERY APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

W171v155.s*15s1- INVENTOR I hw .No. 785,156. I PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905.

N. J. CURTIS.

MAIL BAG DELIVERY APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

ll ||I UNITED STATES NIMROD J. CURTIS,

Patented March 21, 1905.

or LISBON, IOWA.

MAlL-BAG-DELIVERY APPARATUS- SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 785,156, dated March 21, 1905.

Application filed June 20, 1904. Serial No. 213,320.

To all whom, itmrty concern:

Be it known that I, NIMROD J. CURTIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lisbon, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag-Delivery Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail-bag-delivery apparatus for moving trains, and has in view a simple and practical apparatus of this characterwhichcanbeconvenientlyhandled,while at the same time comprising positive means for freely delivering mail-pouches in such a manner that they will naturally fall or drop upon the platform or ground irrespective of the speed of the train and without danger of 1 being drawn under the wheels.

To this end the invention contemplates a I mail-delivery apparatus designed to deliver ordischarge the mail-pouches at the side of a car in a direction opposite to that in which the train is moving and with sufiicient force to counteract the'momentum of the train, whereby the pouches will be checked from any tendency to be thrown by the momentum of the train and will therefore simply gravitate onto the latform or other place of deposit for the mail.

With these and many other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The essential features of the inventioninvolved in the carrying out of the objects hereinbefore specified are necessarily susceptible to structural change without departing from the scope of the invention; but a preferred embodiment thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a perspective view of a mailbag-delivery apparatus shown in its opera tive position swung out from the side of a car ready for the delivery of mail-pouches. Fig. 2 is a-siinilar view at the inside of the car, showing the retracted loading position of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a detail top plan view of the apparatus disconnected from its hangers. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

In carrying out the invention the delivering apparatus proper essentially comprises a semicylindrical delivery-chute 1', open at the top andat' one end andof a sufficient capacity to accommodate a number of mailpouches, such as are ordinarily employed in the handling of mail-matter on trains. One end of the semicylindrical delivery-chute has :fitted therein a closing-head 2, provided with a guiding-spider 3, constituting a guide for the reciprocatory piston-rod 4, carrying at one end an ejecting-plunger 5, working within the chute 1, and at its other end carrying an actuating-piston 6, operating in a pressurecylinder 7, rigid with and offsetfrom the closed end of the chute 1. The pressure-cylinder 7 is formed with an air-chamber extension 8, separated from the piston-receiving portion of the cylinder by an interior partition 9, provided therein with a feed-port 10, desi ned to be covered and uncovered by a thrott ingvalve 1 1, preferably in the form of a gate, ar-' ranged to extend entirely across the port 10 and having an operative connection with an eXteriorly-arranged valve-operating lever'12. The said pressure-cylinder 7 has fitted there to in proper proximity to the valved partition or feeding-head 9 a pressure-release valve 13, which when opened permits of the escape of air from the cylinder 7, whereby the piston 6 and the ejecting-plunger 5 will be freely returned to their retracted or starting position. The air-chamber extension 8 is designed to receive the compressed air or other motive agent under pressure from a pressuresupply pi e 14 in communication with the interior 0 the air-chamber and which may be conveniently connected with one of the reservoirs of the air-brake system of the train. This pressure-supply plpe 14 is equipped with a suitable controllingvalve 15, whereby the air or other motive agent under pressure may be admitted at will into the air-chamber 8.

At the open discharging end thereof the delivery-chute 1 is equipped with spring-actuated deflecting-gates 16, which are normally held in a closed position, but opened under the impact of the mail-pouches when forced outward by the ejecting-plunger 5. When this occurs and the mail-pouches pass out of the open discharging end of the chute, the-tendency of the gate or gates to close or recoil serves to laterally deflect or press the involves suspending the apparatus from" hanger-rods 17 and 18, arranged at the outer side of the car-body and provided with angled lower ends 19, attached to the body ofthe apparatus and permitting the same to be normally held within the car-body at the inner side of a door-opening 20, through whichv the apparatus is moved into and out of the] car; This door-opening may be conveniently covered and uncovered by a shutter 2 1 op e'ned and closed by the movement of the apparatus.

The hanger-rods 17 and-l8 swing ,outwardyl, and at their upper ends areextended through the side of the car and operatively connected with a controlling-lever 22, which is manipulatedfor swinging the apparatus outward for mail-delivery purposes. One of the, hangerrods (designated by the numeral 17) may be provided with an intermediate swivel 23, whichpermits the apparatus to be reversed and hung partly from another hanger-rod 18, if it is desired for the same to operate in the opposite direction. I

After loading the delivery-chute from the. inside of the car'and turning the pressuresupply into the air-chamber 8 the apparatus is swung outward through the door therefor, v and bymanipulating the valve-operating lever 12 the pressure-supply is admitted to the pressure-cylinder, with the result of sharply actuating the piston thereof in 'a direction for forcibly ejecting the mail-pouches.

Whilecompressed air has been described as the motive agent for operating the appa ratus, it. will be understood that any equivalent pressure means may be employed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is 1. In a mail-bag-delivery apparatus, a delivering device having bag-ejecting means, sprin said evice, and means for holding vice in position for the delivery 0 said dethe bags from t e side of the car.

4. In a mailbag-delivery apparatus, the combination With a car-body having a side opening therein, of a delivering device movable through said side opening'and having said device into and out of the car.

combination with a car-body having aside opening therein,- and a self-acting shutter for said opening, of a delivering device arranged to be moved .through said 0 ening'to a posidevice comprising means for ejecting the bags in a direction contrary to themovement of the train, and swinging hangers connected with said device and with the car-body, said lever disposed within the car-body. I

6. In a mail-bag-delivery apparatus, a delivering device comprising an open deliverychute provided with a deflecting-gate at its discharging end and supporting at its opposite end a pressure-cylinder having an airchamber extension, a valved feeding-head or from the air-chamber extension, an ejecting plunger slidably mounted within the chute,

pressure-cylinder and having a rod connection withsaid plunger. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of-two witnesses.

' a N IMROD Witnesses:

SOLOMON KrrrERnvG,

' GRACE BLANDIN.-

in a direction contrary to the movement of flectin means for deflecting the bags oif hangers beingprovided with a controlling'- partition separating the pressure-cylinder -actuated deflecting means carried by bag-ejecting means, and means for swinging 5. In a mail-bag-delivery apparatus, the q tion within and outside. of t e car-body, said and an actuating-piston working within the J. oU-R'rIs. 

